Two-fluid centrifugal spray machine



Jan. 12, 1954 w. s. BOWEN TWO-FLUID CENTRIFUGAL SPRAY MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shetl INVENTOR. WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN Filed Jan. 9, 1951 FIG].

Jan. 12, 1954' I w. s. BOWEN 2,665,92

TWO-FLUID CENTRIFUGAL SPRAY MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1951 2 shets -shet 2 IN VEN TOR. WiLLIAM SPENC E R BOWE N /5 477 END/5.

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 TWQf-FLUID" GEN TRIFU GAL SPRAY MACHIN E William Spencer. Bowen,.Westfield, N. J. Application January 9, 1951, Serial No. 205,093

8 Claims.

The present invention relates toatomizing' (Iovices and embodies, more specifically, an improved atomizer wherein two fluids are utilized in its operation. One of the fluids is the fluid upon which the atomization is accomplished, and the other of the fluids is a fluid by means of which the atomization may be at least partially effe'cted.

An object of this invention is to provide" an atomizer of the above character wherein facility is made for mounting arotatable atomizing memher which is capableoi rotating at extremely high speeds during the atomizing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the above'charaoter'wherein one of the fluids is utilized as a means of providing a cushioning fluid film upon which the rotatable member rides during its rotation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an atomizer of the above characterwherein one of the fluids is utilized as a means for driving the rotatable member at a suitably high speed.

Further objects of the p'ersent invention will be apparent as it is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view in vertical section, taken through an atomizing mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the above drawings, the atomizer is shown as being formed of a stationary housing ill having an outer annular chamber it within which a cooling fiuid may be circulated. Inlet and outlet pipes l2 are provided for the purpose of circulating a cooling fluid, and the housing member is formed with an inner wall I3 providing an axially extending chamber it Within which a rotatable member is provided in the form of a pipeor conduit 15. The inner wall i3 is provided with an inwardly and downwardly sloping wall portion is upon which a conical bearing member ii is mounted, and at the bottom of the wall it! a flange la is formed by means of which a cylindrical bearing member it may be secured in the position illustrated in Figure 1. The hearing members H and It may be formed of a suitable porcus structure within which a suitable lubricant may be carried, and lubrication of the bearing surfaces of these members may be accomplished from time to time through openings 3t ina top plate Ztcarried upon the housing til. Lubricant dropped: through the openings will fall upon and lubricate the upper bearing plate H', and: the excess: from this. plate will fall upon the lower cylindrical plate lo to-efiect its-l'ubri cation. Any excess from plate is will pass downwardly past the flange it and fell upon a flinger disc- 22 that is carried by the lower end of the rotatable member it This disc will fling the excess into an annular groove or channel 23 fromwhich it may beremoveol by any suitable mechamsm; duct.

A stationary fluid supply conduit 2'4 is secured to the cover plate 21 and is formed with a manifold seal 25- that cooperates with the upper extremity 26 of the rotatable member [5 to accomplish a desired seal between these relatively rotating elements. The lower end of the rotatablemember' #5 receives an annular nozzle member 2'? formed with a plurality of cast Venturi nozzles- 28 (Figure 3). A bottom plate 29 is secured to the nozzle 2? and extending downwardly-into the rotor i5 is a central stationary tube 36 through which the fluidto be atomized is intro-- duced. As illustrated in Figure l, the last named fluid is directed against the plate Z-Sirom which it is deflected into the stream of atomizi-n-g fiu-id carried by the rotor l5. lhis atomizing fluid is introduced under sufficient pressureto cause such fluid, by freely expanding to atmosphere through the Venturi orifices 28, to produce a high rotating speed of the nozzle and rotor. For example, air at 5 pounds per square inch expanding freely to atmosphere through a restricted orifice will have velocities of 46' thousand feet per minute.-

This air will tend to reduce all droplets of the fluid introduced by the stationary tube 30 to droplets of extremely fine diameter; In addition,

this air will produce relatively high rotating speeds of the rotor.

A further feature" of the invention is the utilization of the aforementioned air or other atomizing. fluid as a means for, in efiect floating the rotor upon a film of such fluid- To accomplish this, a. flange member 3 i is secured to the upper end of the rotor is and is provided with a downwardly extending conical face 32 that mates with the conical plate ll. draws air from within the tube within the rotor E5 to the space between the bearing surfaces formedby the mating. surfaces 32' and i i. In this fashion, the weight of the rotor will be carried such as an aspirating' mechanism or a A plurality of ducts 3t by the film of air between these surfaces. In order that the rotor may be centered properly during rotation, the air or other fluid is directed through apertures 34 to the space between the rotor and the cylindrical plate 19 in order to provide a lubricating film to accomplish such centering or location of the rotor.

It will thus be seen that an effective bearing is provided by utilizing the atomizing fluid itself to form a lubricating film between the rotor and the adjacent supporting bearing surfaces of the housing. This same fluid is utilized as the driving and atomizing force and, as a result, a highly effective atomizer is provided.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings,

it is not to be limited save as defined in the app pended claims.

I claim:

1. An atomizing device, comprising a staized into the nozzle to be carried through at least certain of the restricted orifices by the atmizing fluid.

2. A device, according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is disposed at an end of the rotor and is formed with a bottom plate and wherein the last named fluid introducing means is adapted to direct the fluid to be atomized against the plate to be entrained in the atomizing fluid which passes through the orifices.

3. An atomizing device, comprising a stationary housing member, a hollow rotor carried by the housing, inlet means for introducing an atomizing fluid under pressure into the rotor, an annular nozzle on the outer end of the rotor and communicating with the hollow therein, a

plurality of restricted orifices in the nozzle with their axes so positioned that the atomizing fluid expanding therethrough exerts a rotative force on the rotor, and a stationary tube coaxially of the rotor and having a nozzle on the lower end 0 thereof to direct fluid to be atomized against a portion of the nozzle to be carried through at least certain of the restricted orifices by the atomizing fluid.

4. An atomizing device comprising a housing, a hollow rotor journalled in the housing and adapted to accommodate fluid under pressure, inlet means for introducing an atomizing fluid under pressure into the rotor, nozzle means carried by the rotor and constructed and arranged to discharge the atomizing fluid with directional components resulting in the application of rotational forces on the rotor, and means to introduce a fluid to be atomized into the rotor to be discharged through said nozzle means with said atomizing fluid.

5. An atomizing device, comprising a stationary housing member having an axially extending chamber therein, an inwardly extending conical first bearing surface formed in the chamber, a hollow rotor, a flange on the rotor, an outwardly extending second bearing surface on the flange adapted to cooperate with the first surface,

a nozzle on the end of the rotor, and a duct ccmmunicating between the interior of the rotor and the first and second bearing surfaces, said duct being disposed at an angle to the bearing surfaces and formed in said flange.

6. An atomizing device, comprising a stationary housing member having an axially extending chamber therein, an inwardly extending conical bearing surface formed in the chamber, a hollow rotor, a flange on the rotor, a conical bearing surface formed on the flange to cooperate with the first bearing surface, cooperating cylindrical bearing surfaces formed on the rotor and chamber near the lower end thereof, ducts between the interior of the rotor and the respective bearing surfaces, said ducts being formed at least partially in said flange, and a nozzle on the lower end of the rotor.

7. An atomizing device, comprising a stationary housing member having an axially extending chamber therein, an inwardly extending conical bearing surface formed in the chamber, a hollow rotor, a flange on the rotor, a conical bearing surface formed on the flange to coop' erate with the first bearing surface, cooperating cylindrical bearing surfaces formed on the rotor and chamber near the lower end thereof, ducts between the interior of the rotor and the respective bearing surfaces, an annular nozzle carried on the lower end of the rotor, means to introduce an atomizing fluid under pressure into the rotor, part of which fluid may enter said ducts to the bearing surfaces, a plurality of restricted orifices in the nozzle with their axes so positioned that atomizing fluid expanding therethrough exerts a rotative force on the rotor, and

means to introduce a fluid to be atomized into the nozzle.

8. An atomizing device, comprising a stationary housing member having an axially extending chamber therein, an inwardly extending conical bearing surface formed in the chamber, a hollow rotor, a flange on the rotor, a conical bearing surface formed on the flange to cooperate with the first bearing surface, cooperating cylindrical bearing surfaces formed on the rotor and chamber near the lower end thereof, ducts between the interior of the rotor and the .ducts to the bearing surfaces, an annular nozzle carried on the lower end of the rotor, a plurality of restricted orifices in the nozzle with their axes so positioned that atomizing fluid expanding therethrough exerts a rotative force on the rotor, and means to introduce a fluid to be atomized into the nozzle.

WILLIANI SPENCER BOWEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent France .Sept. 12, 1938 

